


Treats of Science

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime)
Genre: Autumn, Fluff, M/M, candy corn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-05 04:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21207092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: Senkuu creates a special science treat when the leaves start to change color.





	Treats of Science

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moon_Blitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/gifts).

"The leaves are turning," Chrome said, stopping in the doorway of the lab. "You know what that means, don't you?" 

"Of course I do." Senkuu did not look up from the concoction he was stirring over heat. "Less sunlight, colder temperatures, the leaves stop producing chlorophyll and the carotenoids make them change color." He grinned. "What did _you_ mean?" 

"It's going to get cold," Chrome said gruffly. "Where are you going to stay?"

"Where I have been. With you." Senkuu took the bubbling mixture and poured it over the bowl of white powder. He smirked. "Were you hoping to get rid of me?" 

Chrome felt himself blush. "No. I just wanted to make sure you had someplace warm to stay. What are you making?" 

"You'll see." He began to stir the brown liquid in with the white powder. "It's something people ate this time of year in my world." 

Chrome stared at the bowl. "That's food?" 

"Barely. But for some reason people eat this stuff. This is going to require dumb muscle power. You know who to get." 

**

"Stir that?" Kohaku said, looking down at the mixture. "Easy!" 

She sat down and grabbed the bowl. At first, it did look easy, but after a time, Chrome could tell even she was struggling. "It's so sticky. What _is_ it?" She lifted the spoon; on the end of was a soft ball. Chrome poked it with a finger. 

"I said, you'll see." Senkuu grabbed the ball of dough. "Now we have to divide and color it. That's the most important part."

They all watched as Senkuu pulled the ball into three pieces and distributed two of them to Chrome and Kohaku. 

"Now, the colors. Food coloring is the ultimate ingredient of science. You can make anything you're eating whatever color you'd like."

"Why would you do that?" Kohaku asked as she looked down at the yellow liquid on her ball of dough. 

"Why else? Because it's fun." 

He dripped orange liquid on top of Chrome's portion. 

"Now, start kneading." 

To Chrome's amazement, as he rolled the ball in his hands, the color seeped through the dough, turning the entire thing bright orange. "Wow! Science is amazing."

Kohaku looked down at her dough. "I can't see why you'd want yellow dough."

"What better way to commemorate the death of all that chlorophyll?" Senkuu said. "Now—we roll out our dough."

Chrome could see where this was going—if each colored strip was laid together, and then cut—exactly as Senkuu was now doing… Each piece would have three colors. Remarkable science. 

**

All the citizens of the kingdom of science gathered in the clearing to commemorate the death of the chlorophyll. 

"Senkuu," Gen said, hungrily eyeing the basket full of white, orange, and yellow triangles in Senkuu's hands. "Is that what I think it is?" 

Senkuu laughed. "You tell me." He held out the basket. "What do you say?"

"Trick or treat?" It sounded like a legitimate question, but Gen took a triangle without waiting for an answer. He ate it with a rapturous expression. "Oh, Senkuu, this is even better than the cola."

"Trick or treat?" hazarded Suika when Senkuu offered her the basket. She took a triangle for herself. "It's delicious! So sweet!" 

Kinro held his piece between his thumb and forefinger as though it posed some sort of threat. He took a tiny nibble. "Too sweet." 

Ginro ate two handfuls at once. Chrome wondered if there was any connection between this and the fact that he was soon running circles around the clearing.

"It's all right… I guess," Kohaku said, chewing slowly. 

"Chrome?" Senkuu held the basket out. "What do you say?"

"Trick or treat?" He couldn't figure out why this phrase might be rewarded with leaf-colored science food. "Senkuu, what does trick or treat mean?"

"Ah." Senkuu looked thoughtful. "Children dress up like evil spirits and go door-to-door threatening people who don't give them treats with tricks. That's why I came prepared. I don't want any tricks."

Chrome popped the treat into his mouth. It _was_ sweet. He could see why Kinro had eaten just one bite and given the rest to Suika. The sweetness seemed to shoot through his whole body. But it was good. He ate two more. 

"What is it called?"

"Candy corn. I know you don't know what corn is, but it doesn't matter. This doesn't look or taste like corn at all."

"It's…"

"The ultimate science food. Benzoic sulfimide, powdered foxtail millet, sodium chloride, walnut butter, and honey." 

"And that's science food?"

Senkuu rubbed the back of his neck. "There are better sugars, but plants like that won't grow here, and really good food coloring is hard to make." He examined a piece of candy corn before popping it into his mouth. "I couldn't get the colors right, but it tastes okay. If you forget everything you know about real candy." 

"You mean it could be _more_ orange?"

"Of course." 

"I wish I could see that," Chrome murmured. "Your orange food, your plant sugar." It seemed cruel that there the wonderful world Senkuu had come from was lost forever, an unfathomable number of years ago. 

Senkuu laughed. "Me too. I'd love to see you in my time. You might even come close to me—maybe."

"This winter," Chrome said hesitantly, "we won't be able to go out much on science expeditions. People around here just sit inside and try to stay warm."

"That sounds good to me. We've been doing a lot of work the past six months." He slung his arm around Chrome's shoulder, making his heart race. "I'll tell you all about science, anything you want to know about my time."

"And make more science food?" 

Senkuu grinned. "Sure. There's a winter holiday that ten billion percent calls for more science treats. And then in the spring, they have little yellow chicks…"


End file.
